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Unleashed dog savages therapy alpaca while owner films attack

Nils Lantzke with two of his trained therapy alpacas. Photo: Supplied.

“I’ve had so much to do with death,” says Alpaca Therapy founder Nils Lantzke, his voice choking with tears, “Mimosa had helped so many other people but there was nothing I could do for her.”

Last night an unleashed dog savaged Mimosa the therapy alpaca, breaking both her front legs, biting them to the bone and injuring the terrified animal so badly that she had to be euthanised. Nils says the most shocking thing is that while the attack was taking place the dog’s owner filmed it on his phone.

Nils and a friend were walking Mimosa and fellow therapy alpaca Hercules on the bike path adjacent to Baldwin Drive in Giralang at about 6.45 pm when they saw a man approaching with an unleashed dog described as “a black Staffy”. Nils and the alpacas moved onto the grass to avoid the dog but the owner approached despite being asked to keep clear.

“The dog launched into Hercules first. He’s still a young one and he went into classic attack mode on his hind legs with his front legs folded up. I was yelling at the bloke but he wouldn’t do anything, he had his phone out.

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“I had a stick and was whacking the dog, and then the dog went for Mimosa who is a tiny little thing. My friend Catherine had to let go of the lead or she would have been pulled to the ground herself.”

The badly injured animal ran away and but nearby residents helped Nils to track her down. “She’d tried to get home. She was lying on the grass at the end of our street in terrible pain. There was a lot of blood. I got a blanket to cover her because of the shock while we sat with her and called the vet.

“You know, I’ve been visiting the hospice with the alpacas for 12 years. I have seen so many people dying. but I sat there next to Mimosa crying because she has helped so many other people but I couldn’t do anything for her.”

Mimosa’s injuries were devastating and she was euthanised last night. This morning, Nils and his wife took her to a friend’s farm where she’ll be buried, leaving rosebuds with her body.

“She was like my daughter and Hercules is my adopted son. I bought her six years ago and she was wild as anything. I suggested to the owner that if I trained her for therapy work, she’d be more saleable, but after I’d worked with her I didn’t want her to go to another home. So I put her on layby and bought her as a Christmas present to myself.

“She did all that work at the hospice and in the hospital’s Mental Health Unit. There are young women in there who have been through dreadful stuff, and they don’t talk when they come in. They’d take Mimosa for a walk and she’d start them talking.

“She worked with autistic kids and a girl with epilepsy who had grand mal seizures and couldn’t be left alone. Mimosa would physically support her and protect the girl with her body when she had to sit down.”

Nils says that Hercules has been badly frightened by the attack and slept near the gate last night, hoping Mimosa would come home and crying out for her.

Nils will search for another young female alpaca whom he can train as a therapy animal and companion for Hercules. But the attack won’t stop his therapy work. “I’ve been doing this for 15 years now including 12 at the hospice. It’s a roadblock, but it won’t finish me.”

At 66, he’s devoted to helping others although he concedes he’d sometimes like some help with walking the animals and caring for them. Nils says he is “eternally grateful” for the support and care the community has shown him.

“I was really angry last night, but anger doesn’t get you anywhere in a case like this, it’s a wasted emotion. I was hurting enough already and to be honest, I feel empty with the shock. I just hope his dog doesn’t hurt or kill somebody else.”

Alpaca Therapy has appealed for anyone with information, including anyone who sees the video of the attack, to let them know or contact Domestic Animal Services.

The dog owners behaviour is quite simply disturbing. That persons thought processes, behaviour and actions endangered others and resulted in horrific attacks on animals. They need to be.charged or sanctioned.

One thing I’m beginning to hate about Canberra is the archaic attitude to dangerous dogs and irresponsible owners. In the UK they have a “fit and proper” owner test for dangerous dogs, because as we all know its often the combination of owner and breed which is the problem, rather than just the dog itself.

If the owner of the dog watched filmed it he most likely has the personality type that will need to publish it so people can see "his dog" attacking this poor defenceless animal. He will get cudos from this and I am hoping he does put the film or video on the net as this may help catch the moron (if he hasnt already been). DAS should throw the full weight of the law behind this. Maximum penalty (gaol time). I feel sorry for the little puppy that was unfortunate enough to have drawn the short straw when it went to live with this vile indiviudal. O

Oh that is sad and tragic. Hercules and Nils visited my mother in the hospice last year and Hercules was beautiful and so gentle, and Nils so kind; I am so sorry Mimosa was attacked so badly she had to be euthanized. This is a heart-breaking story.

I feel so much anger at reading this. I met Nils and his gorgeous, gentle alpaca friends almost 3 yrs ago and the passion he has for helping those in need was very obvious. These animals provide a service to those who are in need of comfort and companionship and Nils takes great care to ensure that the alpacas are well looked after and loved. We need more services like this and we definitely need more people like Nils in our Community! What we clearly need less of is irresponsible, heartless animal owners who have no sense of what 'Community' even means.

We met Hercules at the hospice when my mum was there last year. It made her day. Nils does an amazing job putting smiles on the faces of dying loved ones. I am so sorry for the loss of Mimosa. May the person that was responsible for this tragic death burn in hell.

We have two double passes to give away to How to Rule the World, the wild new comedy by Nakkiah Lui showing at @canberratheatre Theatre on 3 April. Here’s how to enter https://t.co/bFwlDdok96(4 hours ago)